Sibling Rivalry
by Willow Fireheart
Summary: Last in the Family Business series. Danielle and Shawn get into a 'little' trouble off world. Maybe they should have listened to their father. "Daddy!"


**Sibling Rivalry**

Spoilers- see previous stories in the _Family Business_ series  
Disclaimer- I only own Shawn and Danielle but would quite willing to lend them out if the writers wanted to officially get Jack and Sam together grin.  
Note- This is the last in the series. I hope it lives up to the others. As usual with my writing I've put a bit of different twist on an old classic. I now present to you a kidfic, Willow Fireheart style…  
xxx

Danielle looked at her father through lowered eyelashes and pouted. "Please, Daddy?"

Jack raised his brows. "You're over doing it, Ellie."

"I knew I should have asked," Shawn muttered.

Danielle glared at him. "Like you could do better."

"I've got strong scientific data."

"Dad hates that all that stuff."

"He doesn't hate a cure for cancer, Danielle," Shawn shot back.

"You don't know it's a cure, Shawn," Danielle ground out.

Shawn pointed a finger at his sister. "The test results are very promising."

"Kids, kids." Jack held up his hands to stall any further arguments. "Please. Now, I've discussed this with her mother and Uncle Daniel and we agree that we should return to the planet."

Shawn and Danielle both stopped.

"You do?"

Jack grinned. "The mission's a go, but," Jack waggled a finger at them, "there are conditions. One: your Uncle Daniel and Teal'c will be going with you. Two: you stick together, no splitting up for any reason. Three: any sign of danger- any- and you two gate back here ASAP. Agreed?"

Jack's gaze narrowed on his son. "Lieutenant?"

Shawn fought the urge to snap off a salute. "Yes, sir."

Danielle impulsively hugged Jack. "Of course, Dad, but you worry too much. We'll be fine."

xxxxx

"I want my MOMMY!"

A jolt of ice cold fear swept through Jack at the sound of the very familiar voice.

He pushed his chair back from the conference table and strode over to the window.

"Ah, crap."

Danielle and Shawn were being lead down the ramp; Teal'c firmly, but gently, holding their hands. Tears ran down Danielle's face and her bottom lip was stuck out as far it would go.

Shawn looked around at the soldiers in uniform, their guns held loosely in their hands. He shifted closer to Teal'c, his eyes wide and fearful.

"Unca Tee?" he asked childishly.

"They will not harm you, Shawn O'Neill." Teal'c looked up at Jack. "We have a problem, General O'Neill."

Both Shawn and Danielle followed his gaze.

"Daddy!"

xxxxx

"They appear to have mentally regressed to young children." Cassie shrugged. "I don't know what else to tell you, Jack. I can't find anything that would have caused this, unless there was a traumatic experience?"

Teal'c peered over his steepled fingers. "Danielle and Shawn O'Neill were merely examining the ruins and the local flora."

Jack grunted and ran a hand over Danielle's back. She sighed and snuggled closer to her father. Jack shifted painfully; he was too old for Danielle to fall asleep in his lap anymore.

"Daniel?" He asked tersely.

"Daniel's leading the bio-hazard team. They're taking samples now. He's due to radio in," Sam checked her watch, "about now actually."

"Mommy?"

Sam looked down. Shawn sat at her feet, drawing pictures on scrap paper. He held up a picture of a fire truck.

Sam ran a hand through Shawn's hair. "That's lovely, Sweetheart."

Shawn beamed up at his mother and returned to his drawing.

"There's nothing unusual at all about their test results?" Sam asked Cassie. "Apart from the obvious?"

"Well," Cassie pulled a face. "There were a few minuscule changes in their brain chemistry but nothing too unusual."

"I guess we keep researching then" Sam said determinedly.

"They are children in adult bodies," Teal's stated calmly.

"Not the most unusual thin we've seen."

Teal'c raised an eyebrow. "This will be problematic."

xxxxx

Shawn leaned over the plastic food protector, pressing his face against it. "I want that one!"

The commissary worker handed over the cheese and tomato sandwich with an uneasy smile.

"Danielle, what do you want for lunch?"

"Peanut butter and jelly!"

"There's no peanut butter and jelly. How about cheese?" Sam offered.

"No! I want peanut butter and jelly!" Danielle glared at her parents, her arms crossed and chin stuck out in defiance.

"Ellie, they don't have-"

Danielle started to turn red. "I wanna wanna-"

"I'll just make her one," the commissary worker said scuttling away.

Danielle smiled sweetly. "Thank you."

xxxxx

"Noooooooo!"

The pained cry stopped everyone in the hall.

"No bath! Noooo bathhhhh!"

A boxer clad figure raced through the hall. General O'Neill was close behind him… and was soaking wet.

"Shawn O'Neill, you get back here." Jack paused to drag in a few deep breaths. "He's never going off world again."

xxxxx

Danielle happily kicked her legs against Teal'c's stomach and giggled. "Faster, horsey, faster!"

Teal'c neighed and quickened his steps.

Danielle shrieked. "Faster, faster!"

xxxxx

"Ahhh! Mommy!"

Sam sat up in bed, her body responding automatically to the cry.

"Mo-ommy!"

Sam scrambled out of bed, absent-mindly kicking the still slumbering Jack. She opened the door to the adjoining bedroom where the children were sleeping.

Shawn was curled up with his knees under his shin. His body shook as he sobbed.

It was a heartbreakingly familiar pose.

"Did you have a bad dream, sweetheart."

Shawn nodded.

Sam sat next to him on the bed and he leaned back against her. She wrapped her arms around Shawn and started to rock.

Gradually, the sobs lessened.

Shawn sniffed. "Can I sleep with you?"

xxxxx

"The locals were very surprised when I told them what happened to Danielle and Shawn. From what I could translate, this is a fairly regular occurrence. Two people would travel out to the ruins near the stargate and when they returned they would-"

"Act like children?"

"Not just act" Daniel corrected. "They are children in almost every way, even if they don't look it."

Jack rubbed his back. "Tell me about it. Ellie and Shawn have been having nightmares; they keep crawling into bed with us."

Daniel frowned. "Nightmares?"

Still frowning, Daniel went to unlock his office but stopped as the door swung open.

"What the-"

Shawn and Danielle looked up at them with a wide eyed 'uh-oh, we're busted' expression. Pieces of ancient alien artifacts were scattered on the floor.

"Ah, for cryin' out loud!"

Danielle picked up a clump of blu-tac and pottey. She held it up to her uncle with wide, innocent eyes and an equally wide smile.

"I fixed it, Uncle Danny."

xxxxx

Daniel barged in Jack's office and stopped short. While Jack wasn't known to be the neatest person, his office had never been covered with toys, dozens of childish drawings and pillows.

Daniel had never found Jack having a nap on the floor of his office either. Danielle and Shawn dozed in either side of him.

"Danny, if you wake them I'll sign you up for the next six recruit training sessions and you won't be the Goa'uld."

Daniel chuckled lowly. "Had a hard day?"

Jack gently eased himself up, leaving his sleeping children on the floor. "I'd forgotten how hyper they were."

"They won't be for much longer," Daniel said with a grin. "I found it. I found the cure!"

"Daddy!"

"Daniel!"

xxxxx

"I'm bored," Jack whined.

Daniel glared at Jack, brushing at a damp spot on his BDUs. "You gave Shawn scrambled eggs on purpose didn't you?"

Jack assumed an innocent expression. "How was I to know he'd throw up?"

"Boys, don't make me separate you two," Sam warned.

"So, Danny," Jack rocked back on his heels. "Ever discover what caused this thing?"

Daniel frowned. "No, but it used to happen quite often. Two adults would return from the ruins having mentally regressed. The natives would care for them and when the two started having nightmares they would return to the ruins. After that they would come back to the village restored."

"They are returning," Teal'c stated calmly.

Shawn and Danielle trudged tiredly towards their family, sheepish smiles on their faces.

Sam darted forward and embraced her children. "Welcome back."

"I'll never complain about being an adult again," Danielle swore adamantly.

Jack joined in the group hug. "Don't make promises you can't keep."

"Are you okay? Do you feel okay?"

"We're fine, Mom. Just a little embarrassed."

Jack carefully examined his children and then nodded to himself.

"C'mon, let's go home."

xxx

end.


End file.
